The Prime Minster will face increasing pressure from trade unions today to deliver improvements for workers and stop "favouring" bosses.

Tony Blair will address the opening day of the TUC Congress in Brighton amid a sudden upsurge in rhetoric over his Government's relations with unions.

The Public and Commercial Services Union announced yesterday it would ballot almost 300,000 civil servants for a national strike on November 5 in protest at job losses.

It will be the biggest walkout in the civil service for over a decade and will cause disruption across all Government departments. Leaders of other unions also warned of strikes over the pensions crisis.